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George Orwell
| race= | religion= (registered as ) | birth= | death= | cause of death= | occupation= , , , , , , , | spouse= Eileen O'Shaughnessy ; Sonia Brownell | children= Richard H. Blair | political party = | military branch = International Brigades ( ) | professional affiliations =BBC}} }} |military branch = International Brigades ( )}} |type of appearance=Oblique posthumous reference}} Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 - 21 January 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. Noted as a novelist and critic as well as a political and cultural commentator, Orwell is among the most widely admired English-language essayists of the 20th century. He is best known for two novels critical of totalitarianism in general, and Stalinism in particular: Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Both were written and published during the Cold War, towards the end of his life. Blair was a BBC radio broadcaster during the late 1930s and much of the 1940s; ironically, no recordings of his voice are known to have survived into the 21st century. George Orwell in Worldwar Eric Blair was the producer of the Indian section of programming on the BBC during World War II and the war with the Race. Blair had led an interesting life before arriving at that position, among other things, serving in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists, but was sickened by the Communists' behaviour, and left.Tilting the Balance, pg. 540. When World War II began, Blair took a job in the BBC's Eastern Section. He continued at this post when the Race invaded in 1942. It was here that Blair was introduced to Moishe Russie.Ibid. The astute medical student noted to Blair the symptoms of tuberculosis when Blair began to cough almost uncontrollably.Ibid. Blair and Russie's path crossed several times in London, as Russie began broadcasting propaganda for Britain.Upsetting the Balance, pg. 108. When the Race attempted an invasion of Britain, Blair armed himself and joined in the defence of London.Tilting the Balance, pg. 294-296. One of Blair's propaganda coups was putting an Indian princess on the air to describe Race occupation of her homeland. He mused on the convenient alliance it was: he, the Socialist, teaming up with royalty.Ibid., pg. 388-389. Later in life, Russie reflected on his meeting Blair and shared his sentiment that "the Nazis the Russians were a boot in the face of mankind forever." While Russie thought Blair was being gloomy at the time, in the 1960s, Russie reconsidered.Down to Earth, pg. George Orwell in The War That Came Early In early 1939 a tall, pale, skinny fellow with a dark mustache and hair who had to come from Ireland or England exchanged nods with Chaim Weinberg in Tortosa as the International Brigades were being pulled from the Ebro front to Madrid. Weinberg was surprised that such an obvious foreigner would prefer to hang with Catalan anarchist militias rather than with other Internationals.Hitler's War, pg. 436 Literary comment While this character isn't clearly identified, his basic description matches Eric Blair. In OTL, Blair's military career was ended by a wound in 1937. His continued presence in Spain appears to be a butterfly effect. George Orwell in "The Last Word" An Englishman once declared that the Draka were "a boot in the face of mankind forever," or words to that effect. The Final War was the crowning fulfillment of that prophecy. Literary comment While the Englishman isn't named, there is very little doubt about Orwell's identity. See Also *Literary Allusions in Turtledove's Work, for more minor references to Orwell and his work. References Category:Adulterers Category:Smokers Category:Soldiers of the Spanish Civil War (Alternate Timeline)